Biology

Biology

This species is exceptionally social, and typically travels in groups called 'pods' of between 10 and 50, and sometimes as many as 100 individuals (2). Their social bonds are so strong that when one individual becomes stranded, others will follow; mass strandings are therefore unusually common in this species (5). Long-finned pilot whales are highly active, they can dive for up to 10 minutes to depths of up to 600m (5).Mating occurs in February and March, after a gestation period of 15 to 16 months the female gives birth (8). The newborn calf measures around 1.9m (2), is nursed for around 20 months and remains with its mother for up to 2 years (8). Females reach sexual maturity at around 7 years of age, whereas males do not become sexually mature until 12 years of age (8).